Vintage S-K Tools

[d42jeep]

After a discussion with Steve (gpw-42) about his new 1/4“ drive set, I noted the differences between the immediate postwar sets and the slightly more recent sets. Around 1953 they eliminated the 12 point sockets and downsized the crossbar from 5/16” to 1/4”. The box and logo remained the same.
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

Here are some really recent arrivals. The S-K marked 3/8” drive beaver tail ratchet came from eBay and is in the evaporust at the moment.

Roy ran across a batch of WW2 tools and was kind enough to pass some S-K and other mystery tools along to me.
-Don

 

[Username already in use]

Wow, those are real nice, Don.

 

[d42jeep]

Thanks. The beaver tail came out of the evaporust this morning and looks much better. The finish is plain steel.
-Don

 

[Kdaniel8601]

Thanks. The beaver tail came out of the evaporust this morning and looks much better. The finish is plain steel.
-Don

Do you know when this ratchet would have been made?

 

[d42jeep]

Do you know when this ratchet would have been made?

With the lack of information in S-K catalogs about the beaver tails, dating involves some guesswork. My first S-K marked 1/2” drive beaver tail had the later patent and was chrome plated so my guess on that one is immediately postwar.
This one has the earlier patent and is plain steel so I’m guessing wartime during the metal restrictions. Alloy Artifacts has an early Chrome Alloy marked 1/2” drive with the early patent that they have dated 1934 - 1938 and it looks to be chrome plated to me. I’ve come to look at the patent numbers as merely clues rather than positive dating since the early patent number is used on 1/4“ drive ratchets into the Wayne era.
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

Here is an 8” S-K adjustable wrench, looking very Crescent-like.
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

I recently picked up this mixed set on eBay. The spinner and sockets were all wartime Walden but the box and other drive tools were wartime S-K, which can be identified by the dark finish and lack of part numbers. I added some other wartime S-K tools to complete the set.
-Don

 

[LNKMK8]

I happened to find this blue case "Fall Special" set at an estate sale yesterday. Nearly everything else at the sale was either newer junk or heavily used older items that were broken, missing pieces, and/or owner marked. This set survived wonderfully. I only found signs of use on 2 of the sockets. Sadly the 9/32" socket is missing and there is some rust on the exterior of the case. I'll have to dig through my spares to see if I can find a suitable replacement. Still very happy to have found it.

Does anyone know of the significance or time period of the blue case? The catalog speaks to S-K, Lectrolite, and S-K Wayne, so I'm thinking 1960's.

 

[d42jeep]

Probably right after the S-K Wayne purchase. It’s great that it has the somewhat hard to find amber spinner. If the 1/4” sockets are knurled, it’s very likely that I have a spare 9/32” for you. I’ve thrown a few extras in mine.
-Don

 

[Oldtuleguy]

I happened to find this blue case "Fall Special" set at an estate sale yesterday. Nearly everything else at the sale was either newer junk or heavily used older items that were broken, missing pieces, and/or owner marked. This set survived wonderfully. I only found signs of use on 2 of the sockets. Sadly the 9/32" socket is missing and there is some rust on the exterior of the case. I'll have to dig through my spares to see if I can find a suitable replacement. Still very happy to have found it.

Does anyone know of the significance or time period of the blue case? The catalog speaks to S-K, Lectrolite, and S-K Wayne, so I'm thinking 1960's.

Ran out of green paint!

 

[sixfootfive]

I happened to find this blue case "Fall Special" set at an estate sale yesterday. Nearly everything else at the sale was either newer junk or heavily used older items that were broken, missing pieces, and/or owner marked. This set survived wonderfully. I only found signs of use on 2 of the sockets. Sadly the 9/32" socket is missing and there is some rust on the exterior of the case. I'll have to dig through my spares to see if I can find a suitable replacement. Still very happy to have found it.

Does anyone know of the significance or time period of the blue case? The catalog speaks to S-K, Lectrolite, and S-K Wayne, so I'm thinking 1960's.

Beautiful set, LNKMK8. I have a similar set and have been wondering if its complete; this really helps. Is there anything resembling a date on the catalog? Is your set in the catalog?

 

[Oldtuleguy]

I would say mid 50s. Nice set!

 

[d42jeep]

I would say closer to very early ‘60s with the blue color and that emblem. Here is a quote from AA about the Wayne purchase. “ In 1962 S-K and Lectrolite were purchased by the Symington-Wayne Corporation, and the tools began to be marked with the "S-K Wayne" trademark by 1964.” Wayne continued with that color for a while. I found this picture upthread.
-Don

 

[sixfootfive]

I've seen that same exact set (in blue with the pronged socket holders) labeled SK diamond, SK-Lectrolite, and SK Wayne. Then SK Wayne continued it in green, so it must have sold fairly well. My best guess on the blue is about '56-'66; LNKMK8's Lectrolite catalog puts it probably '59-'63.

 

[Kdaniel8601]

I've seen that same exact set (in blue with the pronged socket holders) labeled SK diamond, SK-Lectrolite, and SK Wayne. Then SK Wayne continued it in green, so it must have sold fairly well. My best guess on the blue is about '56-'66; LNKMK8's Lectrolite catalog puts it probably '59-'63.

 

[Kdaniel8601]

Here is a flyer that shows the S-K Wayne version of the set.

 

[d42jeep]

I hope LNKMK8 shows the entire contents of that catalog. I wonder it it’s dated?
-Don

 

[sixfootfive]

Oh me too. Very curious.

 

[Kdaniel8601]

i am pretty sure this is the same catalog that was shown in the picture. https://archive.org/details/s-k-lectrolite-catalog-no-mc-563/mode/2up

 

[sixfootfive]

Well that sure seems like it could be.....and I don't see that set in that catalog, just like the other catalogs from that era. Guess it was popular without being in there.

 

[Kdaniel8601]

I think the ones in the blue boxes were promotional tool sets.

 

[LNKMK8]

I looked through the catalog but didn't find any dates on it.

 

[msharley]

I recently picked up this mixed set on eBay. The spinner and sockets were all wartime Walden but the box and other drive tools were wartime S-K, which can be identified by the dark finish and lack of part numbers. I added some other wartime S-K tools to complete the set.
-Don

Ooooh!

You even got a couple square drives!!

Good for you!

 

[d42jeep]

Thanks!

I looked through the catalog but didn't find any dates on it.

I believe that catalog was released 5/63. Note that S-K and Lectrolite are listed as subsidiaries of Wayne. They took two years after the purchase of Sherman Klove and Lectrolite before they changed the markings on the tools and boxes to indicate their new ownership. I assume during the interval they were selling existing stock. Sherman Klove had a long history of selling tools in green boxes going back to just before WW2. The more I think about it, it seems likely that the less attractive (in my opinion) blue boxes that continued into the era of Wayne marked sets may have started under the new ownership. Being sold for only two years might account for their relative scarcity.
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

Here are a couple of pre or early war sets before the metal restrictions went into effect. They can be IDed by not having any markings on the drive tools with the exception of the ratchets.
-Don

 

[LNKMK8]

Excellent info, thanks Don. I have a SK-Wayne marked set with catalog as well that must have come out shortly after these. If Wayne acquired Sherman-Klove in April 1961, the timeline makes sense to me. Do you think they made the Sherman-Klove branded boxes for only 2 years, before moving back to the green boxes with S-K Wayne in 1963/1964? I would date my other set somewhere between 1964-1969 based on the S-K Wayne markings.

 

[d42jeep]

I haven’t gone down the S-K Wayne rabbit hole, so my experience is quite limited, but I have seen pictures of several blue S-K Wayne marked boxes. Its documented on AA that they purchased Sherman-Klove two years before bringing out S-K Wayne marked products. Maybe they eventually discovered that their customer base preferred the green boxes, I just don’t know.
-Don

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Sk got passed around a few times. This dresser era set was sold by gambles, a mixture of kraeuter, sk, and gambles marked tools, in a green box with a kraeuter badge!

 

[four.cycle]

oooo that's an odd mix! where was Gamble's headquarters?

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Looks like Minneapolis. Went bankrupt in 1984 per Wikipedia

 

[d42jeep]

I happened to find this blue case "Fall Special" set at an estate sale yesterday. Nearly everything else at the sale was either newer junk or heavily used older items that were broken, missing pieces, and/or owner marked. This set survived wonderfully. I only found signs of use on 2 of the sockets. Sadly the 9/32" socket is missing and there is some rust on the exterior of the case. I'll have to dig through my spares to see if I can find a suitable replacement. Still very happy to have found it.

Does anyone know of the significance or time period of the blue case? The catalog speaks to S-K, Lectrolite, and S-K Wayne, so I'm thinking 1960's.

I tried to make mine come close to matching your recent find. Looks like I missed the medium extension.
-Don
Edit… getting closer but still have the wrong extension.

 

[d42jeep]

I added a few tools and upgraded some sockets in this 1/2” drive/1/4” drive set that I’ve never found in a catalog.

And completed the set in this box Lugz sent me a few years back. All the original paint came off the galvanized box and I like the way it looks.
-Don

 

[bonneyman]

Per request, here's my recently completed era-correct (mostly) S-K socket set and accessories.

 

[d42jeep]

Per request, here's my recently completed era-correct (mostly) S-K socket set and accessories.

Nice set. I like the extras. Here is a similar set but no extras.
-Don
I recently found this NOS ratchet on eBay for what I thought was a very reasonable price. I think it will remain unused.

 

[bonneyman]

Nice set, sir.

I like how the SK's have the 4 smallest deep sockets a little shorter, thus making a cavity for the universal. I don't know if they did it as a cost savings feature (and it just worked out), or if it was by design. Anyhow, I like it!

 

[d42jeep]

They made those sockets shorter early on before WW2. I guess they utilized that feature in their packaging.
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

I found an early unmarked 1/2” drive speeder on Saturday that I thought would be appropriate for my early S-K set that was missing one. It was fairly close in appearance to this correct one recently posted on the GJ. Unfortunately the throw was a little too great and it doesn’t quite fit in the box properly. It will be an adequate placeholder but I’m still looking.
-Don
Correct example
Just doesn’t quite fit properly.

 

[d42jeep]

I spotted this set on eBay. I noticed that several of the sockets were Chrome Alloy (Brazil) rather than S-K. I doubt that it came from the factory that way especially since there was a duplicate 3/8”. I replaced the Chrome Alloy sockets with S-K and now I have a complete prewar 1/4“ drive set.
-Don
eBay pictures Chrome Alloy socketsCompleted set with all S-K marked tools

 

[Kdaniel8601]

I spotted this set on eBay. I noticed that several of the sockets were Chrome Alloy (Brazil) rather than S-K. I doubt that it came from the factory that way especially since there was a duplicate 3/8”. I replaced the Chrome Alloy sockets with S-K and now I have a complete prewar 1/4“ drive set.
-Don
eBay pictures Chrome Alloy socketsCompleted set with all S-K marked tools